Circular-knitting machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. M. PERKINS. CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

Patented Jann. 5,1892.

(No Model.) Y 2 sheets-sheet 2. VA. M. PERKINS. CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

No. 466,424. Patented 4411.45, 1892.

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALICE M. PERKINS, OF LA GROSSE, XVISCONSIN.

CIRCULAR-KNITTlNG MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 466,424, dated January 5, 1892.

Application filed December 19, 1889. Serial No. 334,286. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALICE M. PERKINS, a citizen of the United States, residing. at La Crosse, in the county of La-Crosse and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Circular-Knittin g Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which forin a part of with said cams under reverse movement.

.The invention further comprises the detail construction, combination, and'arrangement of parts, substantially as hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed Aout in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view Vin perspective of a portion of a cam-cylinder with my improvement-s attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a similar view at nearly right angles to the plane of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is an outside view showing parts in dotted'lines. Fig. 4. is a perspective view of one ofthe switches and its holding-cam. Fig. 5 is a similar view of one of the guides or leaders. Fig. 6 is a 'det-ail view of the yarn-carrier. g

Referring to the drawings, A designates the cam-cylinder of a circular-knitting machine, (preferably of the Branson type of machine;) a, the bottom or lower stationary cam, and a the upper or top stationary cam, which according to my invention is provided with extended or inclined ends or fingers a2.

B B are the ordinary stitch-cams, which swing loosely at their ends on pins b,secured to cylinder A. The cams ct and ct act merely as guides to convey the needles (not shown) to the stitch-cams B B, which latter swing back or up when the needles pass beneath the interior of cylinder A vby small thumb-.

screws b h', projecting therefrom through slots or apertures h2 b2 in cylinder A. These guides'or leaders aid in guiding the needles onto and off from the upper cam a.'

D D are switches, which are each pivotally secured at one end, the other end being made tov t snugly against one end of its recess in the lower cam a. These switches have short studs or rods d cl projecting therefrom extended through slots or openings d in the cylinder A, whereby they can be manipulated when it is desired to raise the needles. Adjacent to each of these switches D is pivoted a cam E, having a curved slot e, wherein projects a short lug e of the switch. These cams E hold the switches elevated and on a line with the projected ends or fingers of the upper cam a', said cams being so pivoted that theywill have passed their central points of gravity when arrested by lugs e in their slots. The cams E when in this position are extended into the line of travel of the needles when passing from the lower cam a.

In practice to eect the raising of the needles the operator raises one of the rods CZ,

throwing the switch D thereof into alignment with the end of the upper stationarycam a', the switch being held raised by its cam E. The needles will then pass up onto the cam a. During this movement stitch-cams B B are lowered, and hence when a reverse motion is imparted the needles not raised Will knit Vwhen the cams reach them, and passing over the first stitch-cam B Will, after raising the adjacent pivoted stitch-cam B to knit, come in contact with the raised cam E and immediately effect the lowering thereof, together with the switch, to the position for knitting.

To produce a fiat web utilizing all the needles, the operation is as follows: The edges of the fabric will be formed on two adjacent needles. The cam-cylinder is to be rotatedsay from right to left in Fig. l-until the point of the left-hand switch D is under the needle on which are formed the loops at one IOO edge o f the fabric, the other needles meanwhile passing the cams and being operated thereby in the usual manner. The cam E of the said switch now is turned into position to raise the switch, and thereafter during the continued movement of the cam-cylinder in the same direction the said edge needle and a number of those following it are deflected upward by the switch onto the top of cam a', passing above the knitting-cams, so as not to be actuated to effect knitting, the other needles to the right of the edge needle referred to, including the other edge needle, being engaged by the knitting-cams and knitting in the usual manner until the said other edge needle has been passed by the cams, when the direction of movement of the cam-cylinder may be reversed. The movement of the camcylinder is arrested before the top cam a has passed beyond any of the needles which have been directed onto the top of the same. In the reverse movement of the cam-cylinder the raised needles are guided downward into their normal workingposition bytheleft-hand guide or leader, while the needles which last were engaged by the cams again are actuated by the latter, and all the needles in succession are operated to knit until the edge needle which before was not raised has passed onto and to the point of the right-hand switch D, when the said cam is raised to guide the said edge needle and those following it onto the top cam a', the needles preceding the raised ones being engaged by the cams and actuated to knit. The movement of the cam-cylinder now is again reversed. After each reversal the lifted switch-cam remains up until the leading or edge needle in operation, after being passed by the knitting-cams, is struck by the earn E and causes the latter to move and to depress the switch-cam.

F designates the yarn-carrier, which is composed of a stationary arm f and a pivoted arm f', which is held rmly in position bya spring f2 bearing thereon, secured to arm f. In the pivoted arm is formed an elongated slot f3,

coincident with which in the front curved portion is an eye f4 and two overlapping curved arms By this construction the thread is readily applied to the carrier and the same greatly aids in threading the machine.

I claim as my inventionl. In a knitting-machine, the upper stationary cam having projecting ends or ngers, the pivoted switches adapted for being brought into alignment with said ends or fingers, and the means for raising and automatically 1ow erin g said switches, substantially as set forth.

2. In a knitting-machine, the upperstationary cam, the pivoted switches, and the cams connected to said switches for holding the same elevated, said cams when raised being extended into the line of travel of the needles, so as to be automatically lowered thereby, substantially as set forth.

In a circular-knitting machine, the upper stationary cam having projecting ends or fingers, the pivoted switches having short projecting rods, and the cams connected to said switches for holding the same elevated and effecting the lowering thereof, substantially as set forth.

4. In acircnlar-knitting machine, the upper stationary cam having projecting ends or fin gers, the pivoted switches, the cams connected thereto for holding the same elevated and effecting the lowering thereof, and the upper guides or leaders, substantially as set forth.

5. In a circular-knitting machine, the combination, with the cam-cylinder having slots therein, of the upper `stationary cam having projecting ends or fingers, the pivoted switches, the upper guides or leaders, and the thumb screws secured thereto projecting through said slots, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALICE M. PERKINS. lVitnesses:

M. P. WING, C. E. SERvIs. 

